PMB25: A NEW RAIN GAUGE TO GO BEYOND THE STATE OF THE ART IN CUMULATIVE RAINFALL AND RAIN INTENSITY MEASUREMENT

Design, production and installation of PMB2 and PMB20 made CAE a worldwide reference producer of tipping bucket rain gauges. WMO comparisons through the years confirm it.  "WMO Laboratory Intercomparison of Rainfall Intensity Gauges" {De Bilt (the Netherlands), Genoa (Italy) Trappes (France) September 2004 - September 2005}. These technologies and competences led the company to develop a break-through innovation, currently released and already installed in several places: the PMB25 rain gauge.
 
Characterized by the very same reliability distinguishing every component of CAE systems, it includes some important technical developments. The most important one consists of the integration of electronic intelligence within the mechanical body of the rain gauge. Thanks to this innovative element PMB25 delivers both the cumulated rain data and rainfall intensity in real time. Rainfall intensity is defined as the rain fallen within a certain period of time: the hardware operating within this rain gauge allows complex calculation, therefore making possible the measurement of rainfall intensity between 2 mm/h and 300 mm/h on a 1 minute basis. The standard sensor performs an overall 2% accuracy in measurement, being possible to reduce this value through a customized calibration.

The stainless steel tipping bucket is suspended by a knife articulation on nickel plated brassy supports; this type of construction similar to that adopted for scales, allows an accurate calibration that proves to be much more stable in time in comparison to traditional pin bearing bascules. The magnetic transducer with sealed reed contact assures a practically unlimited number of operations. The newly calibrated funnel and external housing are all made of anodised aluminum and are mounted on a sturdy cast anodised aluminum base support.

Every detail is designed and produced to get the best quality and reliability, making PMB25 an exclusive sensor offered only by CAE, with unique characteristics. When included into a CAE system, PMB25 performs remote diagnostic and maintenance functions.